"We are proud of being tied to the city, but I believe not everyone knows, and this is a great occasion to do something for the city that hosts us," Fendi CEO Pietro Beccari told
WWD
. "Rome is a home of Made in Italy. There's an incredible savoir faire, but as well it's a source of inspiration for many."

Completed in 1762, the Trevi Fountain was last restored in 1989 by skilled artisans who repaired all areas of deterioration and scrubbed the stonework. Last June, chunks of stonework crumbled and fell from the fountain's façade after becoming weakened by the previous winter's freezing weather.

Fendi have pledged €2.1million to restore the Trevi, and have made a "significant contribution" towards the cost of repairing the Four Fountains.

It is featured in an iconic scene in Fellini's 1960 film
La Dolce Vita
, and also in
Roman Holiday
, starring Audrey Hepburn.

The restoration of the Trevi, for which Fendi will be the sole sponsor, will be done in stages so as not to prevent tourists from visiting the landmark. Upon completion, a small plaque noting Fendi's contribution will be placed on the fountain.

"The restoration of the Trevi Fountain, one of the most known roman monument in the World, shows the importance of cooperation between public and private support and how the best roman brands, such as Fendi, are involved in bringing back the historic center of Rome to its original shine," said Gianni Alemanno, Mayor of Rome. "This type of interventions represents the strengths in renewing Rome we are pursuing with all energy".

The project will consist of many aspects, one being a coffee table book devoted to Rome's celebrated and hidden fountains and shot by Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi's creative director.
WWD
report that the climax of the project may be a fashion show in front of the Trevi in 2015, which will also be the year Fendi celebrates its 90th anniversary.

But Fendi are not the only Rome-born brand to sponsor the reinvigoration of the historic city's landmarks. In 2011, Tod's, the Italian luxury shoe group, announced a project to fund the cost of the restoration of the Colosseum, at a cost of €25 million. Similarly, Renzo Russo, the Italian founder of Diesel, has recently pledged £4million to rescue Venice's famous Rialto Bridge.